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North Carolina Rep. Addison McDowell just introduced a powerhouse bill, the ALCATRAZ Act, to supercharge state-led migrant detention efforts, according to reporting from The Daily Wire.
This America-first legislation fuels President Trump’s mission to enforce immigration laws and ramp up deportations.
The Accelerated Logistics and Coordination for Arresting, Transporting, and Removing Aliens Zones (ALCATRAZ) Act redirects funds from the Biden-Harris administration’s Shelter and Services Program, which housed illegal immigrants in luxury hotels like New York City’s Roosevelt Hotel, to a new Detention and Logistics Program. The program will reimburse states like Florida, Indiana, and Nebraska for building detention centers, like Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz,” which has already driven hundreds of deportations.
“Illegal immigrants are here because of the Left’s open border policies. No more,” McDowell told The Daily Wire. “Through codifying President Trump’s executive actions, no longer will illegals be put up in swanky hotels for extended stays. Now they will face swift deportation.”
The ALCATRAZ Act aims to expand detention capacity nationwide. McDowell envisions facilities like a potential “Tar Heel Tank” in North Carolina. “Through the ALCATRAZ Act, we will rapidly expand our available bed space for illegal aliens and facilitate their swift deportations,” he added. Co-sponsor Rep. Barry Moore stressed the urgency: “States like Florida and Indiana are stepping up where Biden Administration bureaucrats failed, and this bill makes sure they have the resources to do it.”
Republican Reps. Pat Harrigan, N.C., Tim Moore, N.C., Byron Donalds, Fla., Laurel Lee, Fla., and Lauren Boebert, Colo, have all signed on as co-sponsors for the bill, which empowers states to tackle illegal immigration head-on. “The ALCATRAZ Act is about ending the revolving door at our border,” Harrigan noted. “States stepping up to build and operate detention facilities should be backed, not blocked, by Washington.”
Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” sets a proven standard, with Indiana’s “Speedway Slammer” and Nebraska’s “Cornhusker Clink” following suit. “Alligator Alcatraz has provided a model for quickly and efficiently opening new detention facilities to temporarily house illegal aliens before deportation,” McDowell stated. The Department of Homeland Security reports that recent funding has enabled 80,000 new detention beds, a vital step for boosting deportations.
The legislation also mandates redirecting wasteful federal spending to the Detention and Logistics Program. Rep. Lee underscored Florida’s burden: “Florida has seen firsthand the strain that illegal immigration places on our communities, our resources, and our law enforcement.” Despite a federal judge pausing construction at “Alligator Alcatraz” over environmental concerns, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appealed, signaling an unyielding commitment to President Trump’s mass deportation plan.